Deadline for Receiving Vote by Mail Ballots

Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked before or on Election Day and delivered to the Registrar of Voters office via USPS or a bona fide private mail delivery company no later than three days after Election Day.

If you wish to find out if your ballot was counted (or if not, the reason for rejection) visit the Vote by Mail Ballot Status Lookup page or call 565-6800 or 1 (800) 750-8683 toll free after the official canvass is complete (3-4 weeks after the election).

"Mailed Ballot Only" Voters

In any given election, registered voters may reside within a precinct that contains a unique set of districts that are distinct from surrounding precincts. What's more, there may be relatively few registered voters residing in that unique precinct.

If a precinct contains less than 250 registered voters, California law allows the Registrar of Voters Office to provide:

Vote by Mail ballot to each voter.

Notice that there will be no polling place for that precinct.

The notice must inform voters of the 2 nearest polling places, in the event the voter wishes to return the ballot in person on Election Day.

Return postage for "Mailed Ballot Only" voters is paid by the Registrar of Voters Office.

Returning Your Vote by Mail Ballot In Person

If you do not think the ballot will reach the Registrar of Voters Office by mail before the deadline, you may deliver it in person to the Registrar of Voters Office or any polling place in Sonoma County before 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Using an Eligible Representative to Deliver Your Vote by Mail Ballot

If you are unable to personally return your Vote by Mail ballot, you may choose one of the following eligible representatives to return your ballot for you:

Spouse

Child

Parent

Grandparent

Grandchild

Sibling

Person residing in your same household

Deadline for Receiving Vote by Mail Ballots

Vote by Mail ballots may be returned in one of the following ways:

Hand delivered to the Registrar of Voters Office by 8 p.m. on Election Day;

Hand delivered to any polling place in Sonoma County by 8 p.m. on Election Day;

Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked before or on Election Day and delivered to the Registrar of Voters office via USPS or a bona fide private mail delivery company no later than three days after Election Day.

DO NOT FORGET: SIGN AND DATE THE IDENTIFICATION ENVELOPE FOR YOUR BALLOT TO COUNT.

If you are unable to personally deliver your Vote by Mail application, you may choose to send an eligible representative (must be 16 years of age or older) to deliver your completed application form for you:

Spouse

Child

Parent

Grandparent

Grandchild

Sibling

Person residing in your same household

The representative will be given your Vote by Mail ballot to deliver back to you.

Note: An eligible representative may also return the ballot for you, if you do not return it by mail.

Deadline for Requesting a Vote by Mail Ballot

The last day to request a Vote by Mail ballot by mail is 7 days prior to an election, after which Vote by Mail ballots are available only by applying in person at the Registrar of Voters Office.

There are limited exceptions to this requirement. After the 7-day deadline, contact the Registrar of Voters Office if you are unable to go to the polls because of unanticipated illness, disability, or other condition that results in your absence from the precinct.